Badminton

BAI inaugurated the National Center of Excellence “Dream” in Guwahati

In a great effort for the development of Indian badminton, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Friday inaugurated the National Center of Excellence in Guwahati, Assam.

A Memorandum of Understanding between BAI and the Government of Assam was signed, unveiling the historic chapter of Indian sports at the launch ceremony.

The opening ceremony was attended by several dignitaries including Assam CM and BAI President Dr. Hemanta Biswa Sarma, Olympic badminton legend Taufik Hedayat, Indian team head coach Bolila Gopichand and a member of the historic Thomas Cup winning team.

“This National Center of Excellence is a dream. It has been a long journey of seven years and I am delighted that today we not only have the best Center of Excellence in India but also one of the best Centers of Excellence in the world. What is exciting is that it will be part of the heritage of Assam and will revolutionize the history of sport in the region,” commented the President of BAI.

NCE has world-class facilities, including 16 stadiums designed to meet the training needs of 60 Phase 1 athletes. In addition, the center includes a 4,000 square foot gymnasium with state-of-the-art fitness equipment. technology, a players’ dormitory and a dedicated 1,000 acre 2,000 square foot physiotherapy center to ensure athletes receive maximum care and support. to maintain maximum performance.

Renowned Indonesian international badminton coach Mulyu Handoyo, who will oversee the development of singles player, former Russian All-England champion Ivan Sozonov, and Korea’s Park Tae-sang, will chair a strong coaching committee with a group of Indian coaches. , which will also manage. It is trained and developed to meet global standards.

Welcoming BAI’s decision to boost the badminton movement in the country, Indonesian legend Hidayat said, “This national center of excellence has better and bigger facilities. I hope more young Indian players will become great players like Gopichand, Sindu, Saina. I hope to be able to return in the near future. Good luck to the Indians and also to the Assam players.”

Spread over an area of ​​40,000 square feet, the center marks a milestone in the history of Indian badminton.

Sanjay Mishra, General Secretary of BAI, said: “The centre’s state-of-the-art facilities will provide a holistic ecosystem that will help athletes, coaches and sports professionals reach their full potential. He will make a significant contribution to the growth of the sport by creating an environment that encourages excellence and innovation. We also plan to expand this center further to help train more players in the future. “

“This center is a testament to BAI’s vision of taking Indian badminton to the next level. I’m sure it will act as a catalyst for the many successes to come in the days to come,” commented Indian shuttle pilot Kidambi Srikanth.

The crowded stadium also saw Indian badminton superstars Satwikshairaj Rankireddy, Vishnuvardhan Jodh Pangala, Krishna Prasad Garaga and Dhruv Kapila play exhibition matches which delighted the crowd.

– Sport Team

Tennis

National Junior Series: Panshul to face second seed Shaurya Bhardwaj in final

Top seed Panchul Obofiga bounced back from a slow start to defeat Aditya Sansanval 4-6 6-4 6-1 in the men’s under-16 semifinals of the AITA National Series Junior Tennis Championships in the Goigaon Academy on Friday. In the final, Panchul will face second seed Shaurya Bhardwaj.

The women’s final will oppose Manshi Singh and Aditi Tyagi. They both had to face three judges in the semi-finals against Anandita Upadhyay and Havisha Choudhury.

– Kamesh Srinivasan

Bubana and Ebden in the quarter-finals

Rohan Bopanna, Matthew Ebden defeated Jamie Murray and Michael Venus 6-3, 6-3 in their doubles match ahead of the $7,622,925 ATP Tennis Championships Quarter-Final in Toronto, Canada.

The fourth-seeded India-Australia duo, who received a first-round bye, are set to face seventh-seeded Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the quarter-finals.

– Kamesh Srinivasan

Golf

Aditi T-33, Diksha T-81 after the first round

India’s Aditi Ashok scored the same 72 points, tied for 33rd, while her compatriot Diksha Dagar had 74 cards, to find herself tied for 81st after the first round of the Women’s Golf Open.

Aditi even hit 72 in the first round and was deep in the cut line, but Diksha took 74 and had more than two with a potential cut at some point on a soggy day.

It was tight at the top of the leaderboard as players managed to overcome a test cycle in this year’s main final.

Aditi will be looking to play regular rounds to make the weekend work, while Diksha will need a second round under par to qualify, which ends at the end of two rounds.

As Aditi looks to capitalize on her best run at a major tournament, a T-22 at the 2018 Women’s Open, Diksha is looking to land her first shot on her second attempt at the tournament, which will be the last of five women’s Grand Prix.

– PTI

Nishtha Madan is at No. 30 on Epson’s US tour

India’s Nishta Madan was tied for 30th after round one as Sweden’s Mikaela Finn took the lead in the Four Winds Invitational on the Epson Tour.

Nishtha went 1-under 71 in the round with three birdies and two bogeys – all on the front nine – after which he cut all of the back nine.

Another Indian bowler on the field, Nikita Arjun, struggled in the first innings going 3-75 and had three birdies, two bogeys and two double bogeys.

The Finn birdied to play five-on-five, with 12 players sitting one stroke behind him.

The Finn had six birdies that day, with the only error coming on the 16th hole at South Bend Country Club.

Among the 12 players in the squad is LPGA Tour veteran Alena Sharp.

Sharp already picked up a victory earlier this year in the Champions Fore Change Invitational and is looking to add another trophy to his troop bag this week.

His under-68 quadruple is Sharp’s fastest round in his last three tournaments. Miranda Wang placed fourth with Sharp.

– PTI